The embodiments described herein relate generally to an electric machine, and more specifically, to an electric motor.
An electric machine is typically in the form of an electric generator or an electric motor. The machine typically has a centrally located shaft that rotates relative to the machine. Electrical energy applied to coils within the machine initiates this relative motion which transfers the power to the shaft and, alternatively, mechanical energy from the relative motion of the generator excites electrical energy into the coils. For expediency, the machine will be described hereinafter as a motor. It should be appreciated that a machine may operate as a generator and vice versa.
A stationary assembly, also referred to as a stator, includes a stator core and coils or windings positioned around portions of the stator core. It is these coils to which energy is applied to initiate this relative motion which transfers the power to a rotor and then to a shaft. These coils are formed by winding wire, typically copper, aluminum or a combination thereof, about a central core to form the winding or coil. An electric current is directed through the coils which induces a magnetic field. It is the magnetic field that initiates this relative motion which transfers the power to the shaft.
The power transferred to the shaft is absorbed by a load that is applied to the shaft. The load may be applied by coupling the load to the shaft in any suitable manner. For example the shaft may be threaded on its end and a nut is threadably secured to the threads to hold the load onto the shaft. During assembly and disassembly of the load to the shaft, the shaft may need to be held stationary while torque is applied to the nut. For applications in which the shaft extend out of the motor on both of the opposed ends of the motor, the shaft end opposed to the load may be held stationary. For other applications where only the load end of the shaft protrudes from the motor, removing and securing the load, for example applying torque to the nut may be difficult.
The present invention is directed to alleviate at least some of these problems with the prior art.